It’s becoming increasingly clear that entrepreneurship is the light in the end of the tunnel for many refugees. The UN estimates that the 3,000 informal shops and businesses at the Zaatari camp in Jordan generate USD 13 mn a month, according to The Economist. Some of these businesses are so successful they’re exporting their work outside the camp, as in the case of Hassan, who employs seven people in his Syrian sweets shop, with four outlets across the camp, and a fifth one underway. Qaseem’s bike shop is also a thriving business that customizes donated bikes. The business models in Zaatari challenges the handout culture normally found in refugee camps, the report says.

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